Opinion · Supreme Court of the United States

Powers v. United States

223 U.S. 303

Type
Opinion
Court
Supreme Court of the United States
Jurisdiction
Federal
Date
1912-02-19
Topic
general

How later courts describe this case

  • concluding that the Fifth Amendment was not violated when Powers voluntarily opted to testify at a preliminary hearing even though he was not admonished about his right against self-incrimination
  • lack of warnings and counsel did not render statement before United States Commissioner involuntary
  • no violation of Fifth Amendment right against compelled self-incrimination where defendant not warned that what he might say in testimony at preliminary hearing before federal commissioner might be used against him at trial
  • finding no violation of the Fifth Amendment because Powers 1

Citator

Powers v. United States has been questioned or limited by later authorities: relies on overruled authority: 16 S. Ct. 952 (overruled by Garland v. Washington). Read them before relying on it. 145 later decisions cite it.

Authority status
caution
Cited by
145 opinions

Headnotes

  1. Criminal Law & Procedure — Indictment An objection that there was no venire facias summoning the grand jury, or that the grand jury was not sworn, is waived unless seasonably taken; where the indictment recites that the grand jury was selected, impaneled, sworn, and charged, that recitation is sufficient, at that stage of the proceedings, to show the proper swearing of the grand jury. 223 U.S. 303 (citing United States v. Gale, 109 U.S. 65; Agnew v. United States, 165 U.S. 36; Rodriguez v. United States, 198 U.S. 156; McInerney v. United States, 147 F. 183)
  2. Criminal Law & Procedure — Indictment Where a conviction is a general one, one good count sufficient to sustain the sentence is all that is required to warrant affirmance of the judgment in error proceedings, even if other counts of the indictment are defective. 223 U.S. 303 (citing Dunbar v. United States, 156 U.S. 185)
  3. Criminal Law & Procedure — Petit Jury A record stating that the petit jury was called, impaneled, and selected and tried in the manner prescribed by law, and that the jurors upon their oaths returned their verdict, sufficiently discloses, upon proceedings in error after conviction, that the petit jury was duly sworn. 223 U.S. 303
  4. Constitutional Law — Fifth Amendment — Self-Incrimination It is not essential to the admissibility of an accused's testimony that he first have been warned that what he said might be used against him; where the record shows that he testified voluntarily and understandingly, and does not show that he claimed his privilege or was ignorant of it, such testimony cannot be excluded when subsequently offered at his trial. 223 U.S. 303 (citing Wilson v. United States, 162 U.S. 613)
  5. Constitutional Law — Waiver of Privilege Against Self-Incrimination A defendant who voluntarily takes the stand in his own behalf thereby waives his privilege against self-incrimination and may be fully cross-examined as to the testimony he has voluntarily given, subject to the same rights, protections, criticisms, and burdens as any other witness, and may not stop at a partial disclosure but must make a full disclosure. 223 U.S. 303 (citing Reagan v. United States, 157 U.S. 301, and Brown v. Walker, 161 U.S. 591)
  6. Criminal Law & Procedure — Scope of Cross-Examination Where a defendant testifies in his own behalf that his occupation at the time charged was innocent, cross-examination concerning prior work with the same individual in the distillation of spirits may be regarded as relevant to that claim, as it tends to show he knew the character of the occupation in which he was then engaged, and does not exceed the limits of a proper cross-examination. 223 U.S. 303
  7. Criminal Law & Procedure — Federal Statute on Compelled Evidence Section 860 of the Revised Statutes, providing that no pleading, discovery, or evidence obtained from a party by means of a judicial proceeding shall be used in evidence against him in a criminal proceeding, has no bearing where the accused voluntarily testified in his own behalf in the same proceeding and thereby opened the door to legitimate cross-examination. 223 U.S. 303 (citing Tucker v. United States, 151 U.S. 164)